Margarita Venezuela?

[scuba buddha]

I have just returned from an amazing week in Utila and am looking for my next dive adventure. Does anyone have any info. on Margarita Is. Venezuela? My girlfriend and I are looking to continue to Adventure Diver and want more now!! Any help on this location is appreciated.

bubble, bubble, bubble

-Andre' :mousy:

 

[DocVikingo]

IMHO, the only really decent diving in Venezuela is in the Los Roques archipelago, which is best done on a live-aboard, but can stay & dive from Gran Roque. It's quite good scuba, but not world class. Some of the closer islands are a long boat ride from Margarita Island, but some ops do offer a night or two live-aboard.

If you are thinking right off Margarita Island, forget it (poor conditions, high baterial counts, some unreliable & unsafe ops) & just enjoy the good restaurants, discos, casinos & thong bikinis. Especially avoid an operator called Octopus. If you must dive right off the island, go with International Dive Center. Run by the best DM on the island, it's been around a long while. No website or toll free phone. Look it up when you get there.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[scuba buddha]

Thanks a million Doc. If you have any ideas on good live aboards let me know. I look forward to going there in the fall or spring coming up.

Bubble, bubble, bubble

- Andre'

 

[Cudabait]

Hi Andre',

I grew up in Venezuela. Started diving and such when I was 13 living in a place called Puerto La Cruz. Now the Miami Beach of Venezuela. I see you were recently in Utila and loved it. Also what the DOC told you about Margarita and Venezuela is pretty straight stuff. If you speak Spanish, already have substantially good dive skills, and can move around in an unfamiliar inviornment, you could probably make a go on Margarita. If you don't haul your own equipment, it will be a big hassel, and expensive. I was on Margarita last about three years ago. It was OK. Found my own boat operator and cut my own deal. If I were to decide on where to go, a week on Margarita or a month on Utila, I'd go to Utila without even looking back. But that's just me. Oh, by the way, the political situation in Venezuelan right now is about as bad as it has been since the 1950's. Enough said. Have fun whatever you do. Cudabait.

 

[tdewey10]

Roughly in "best" order:

Los Roques
Los Aves
Mochima
Morrocoy

Are the places to dive in Venezuela, notice that Margarita Island is not on the list.

Los Aves is somewhat difficult to get to (need to charter a boat from either Los Roques, Margarita or Caracas) but offers great wreck diving.

I just came back from Los Roques and loved every dive (despite the fire coral I encountered on one dive).

Cheers

 

[cyklon_300]

on the PH boat Antares Dancer. Not exactly the pride of the fleet, but it was passable. AFAIK, it's the only liveaboard there.

Diving was fair to good...better sites were in the southern part of the archipelago. Not many pelagics, but the reefs, especially soft corals, were healthy.

 

[DocVikingo]

The Antares Dancer ceased operations last December during the major political unrest & petroleum shortage. Best as I know, no plans to restart it.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[smidgeon]

Roughly in "best" order:

Los Roques
Los Aves
Mochima
Morrocoy

Are the places to dive in Venezuela, notice that Margarita Island is not on the list.

Los Aves is somewhat difficult to get to (need to charter a boat from either Los Roques, Margarita or Caracas) but offers great wreck diving.

I just came back from Los Roques and loved every dive (despite the fire coral I encountered on one dive).

Cheers

Blanquilla was nice back around 1995 but might be too close to “pirates” these days